Pac-12 Hotline

Nobody has a deeper grasp of the Cal football program's ebbs and flows over the years than Mike Pawlawski. The Bears' former all-conference quarterback takes a deep dive into the state of the program, the need to get better on defense and -- crucially -- whether the Bear Raid style of offense can succeed in the Pac-12.

The axe is headed back to Palo Alto.

Bay Area News Group's Jon Wilner and Courtney Cronin recap Stanford's 45-31 win over Cal and seventh straight victory in the annual Big Game rivalry from Memorial Stadium in Berkeley.

Former Stanford quarterback Todd Husak, who has served as the team's radio analyst for almost a decade, discusses the Cardinal's recent improvement, the evolution of quarterback Keller Chryst and the 119th Big Game.

Oregonian columnist John Canzano, host of The Bald Faced Truth radio show, has been following Oregon football closely for years. He discusses the Ducks' stunning fall, the future of coach Mark Helfrich, the Phil Knight factor, and the possibility that Chip Kelly would return to Oregon.

Stewart Mandel, the foremost authority on the college football postseason, discusses the Pac-12's prospects for sending a team to the playoff: Will Washington get in with one loss, could Utah or Colorado make it with two? He also examines the Rose Bowl's options and the likelihood that the College Football Playoff will expand to eight teams.

Rick Neuheisel, the former Pac-12 coach and Pac-12 Networks analyst, discusses the state of the conference, with particular attention paid to the ascents of Colorado and Washington -- he coached both programs -- along with Oregon's need to reinvent itself and UCLA's search for an identity. Currently based in New York, Neuheisel also shares the east coast perception of the Pac-12 and his picks for the division winners.

Greg Biggins, national recruiting analyst for FOX Sports and Scout.com, looks at the top 2017 prospects  on the west coast, the Pac-12's most underrated recruiters, Alabama commit Najee Harris, the impact of social media, Jim Harbaugh's wackiness, the merits (or lack thereof) of an early signing date and more.

Yogi Roth, color analyst for the Pac-12 Networks, examines the conference at midseason, including quarterback play, the success of Colorado and Washington, Oregon's woes, USC's emergence, the paucity of NFL Draft talent, the South race and much more.

Ralph Russo, the lead national college football writer for the Associated Press, discusses the national perception of the Pac-12, the impact of night games, Heisman Trophy and AP top-25 voting, the east coast bias and more.

In episode 2 of College Hotline, Chris Dufresne of TMGcollegesports.com (and formerly of the L.A. Times) talks Big 12 expansion, the SEC as a destination for homeless quarterbacks and the long, deepening downturn at USC.